William D. Cannon Art Gallery Exhibit - 'alchemy + light'

"Alchemy + Light" brings together seven artists from the True North Photo Society in a dynamic exhibition exploring memory, light, and the limitless possibilities of the photographic process. Featuring over 90 works by San Diego County artists—Barbara Beck, Patricia Grabski, Susan Hill, Carole Massey, Priscilla Monger, Judith Preston, and Brandy J Sebastian—the exhibition highlights a range of approaches from alternative processes to contemporary digital practices.

Each artist transforms light into something deeply personal, revealing moments of connection, experimentation, and discovery. The work moves fluidly between the tangible and the ethereal, inviting viewers to experience photography as both process and expression without boundaries.

Rooted in themes of memory and transformation, the exhibition reflects a wide spectrum of photographic exploration.

Barbara Beck’s layered mixed media works draw from family narrative and the passage of time, combining photographic imagery with tactile processes such as stitching, encaustic, and alternative printing to echo the fragmented nature of memory. Patricia Grabski similarly bridges past and present, using both camera-based and cameraless techniques to reinterpret the natural world through hand-crafted processes and experimental materials.

Judith Preston’s work spans decades of inquiry into landscape, perception, and memory. From infrared landscapes that evoke the spiritual qualities of nature to Holga-based explorations of dreamlike nostalgia, her images reveal photography’s power to both document and transform lived experience. Susan Hill’s work shifts toward a conceptual investigation of light and time, where subtle intervals of illumination and sculptural forms make visible the otherwise intangible structures of duration and perception.

Carole Massey embraces experimentation through in-camera techniques such as intentional camera movement and multiple exposures, often incorporating physical elements like crystals and transparent materials to create richly layered, abstract compositions. Priscilla Monger’s work invites close looking, where fragments of texture, light, and form gain meaning through association, encouraging viewers to slow down and discover quiet visual relationships.

Brandy J Sebastian’s practice centers on the act of letting go, using experimental processes such as Chemi-Lumens to explore vulnerability, healing, and transformation. Her work embraces unpredictability and the alchemy of light, chemistry, and time, resulting in images that are both expressive and deeply personal.

Together, these artists expand the boundaries of photography, demonstrating its ability to hold memory, evoke emotion, and transform perception through both traditional and experimental means.

Please join us on April 18, 3 to 5 p.m., for a free artists reception open to the community.

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